Railroad tie of composite reenforced concrete



Jan. 13, 1931. R. F. GREENWOOD 1,788,913

RAILROAD TIE OF COMPOSITE REENFORCED CONCRETE Filed Dec. 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EY Jan. 13, 1931. GREENVIIQQD 1,788,913

RAILROAD TIE 0F COMPOSITE REENFORCED CONCRETE Filed Deg. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f a .9 I 4a 1 I J I fag! 4 Il/fi i W w v I a I I A I I I I j ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1931 I UNITED: isrA r-ss jrefr e inr :momm) nonnnnwoon, or NEW some-1y;

RAiLROA DiTIE on coMnesrrn n-nnnroncnn ooNoRErrE Application filed December 18, 5129; Seriel im'aiiesis.

v o gree provide the strength and powernecessary to withstand the shatterin 'aird crushing forces of traific,'wh1ch can 7 e produced for a cost which Wlll make itsuse economical,

10 which will serve the'fun'ction'of an'effici'ent rail. support adapted tohold the 7 Tail "uniformly to gage, willfeliminate the use of tie plates and like devices andwill becap'able of ready handling, 7

Another object of myinvention is to prodnce a tie of the block-and baritypein" which "there is embedded beneatheach'railaf'separate or independent metaillic element having in itself alone great "load-carrying stren th and providing in theicomplete 'tie the tensile strength ofthe Lm'etallicelement while avoiding the danger of center binding.

Another object of my inventionjisto; provide in a block orsection'ofzarailroa'd'tie formed of a plurality ofse'ctions connected by a metal bar and'known as" ties ofth'e block and bar type, a combined rail'support endembedded reenforcement which will have jsufiicie'nt load carrying strength"'a'lone to. sup-"' port a m'aj or portion or all ofthe-loadwhich will normally be. carried by thetie;

Another object of my invention is the pro} vision in a concrete railroad tie, preferably of the type hereinabove"sp'ecified, of a'unitary rail-supporting andv 'reenforcing element for each block or'section'comprising an open-work base portionof substantially-the" area in outline of'the concrete block and a rail-supporting portionv preferablyof in- 4o verted trough or channel'shape-disposed transversely of the axis of the: tie andfbe- 'neath the rail and preferably extending: on opposite sidesof the normalouter iedges or sides of the tie. V V 7 Still another object of my invention isfthe provision, in each block orfsection of a railroad tie of the block-and-bar type hereinabove specified, of a combined rail-support- 'ing "and concrete reenforcing element composed of a 'singl'e piece of metal andpr eferably com osed ofa!singlejmetllficasting or complete tie'the high tensile and load-Garry ingstrength ofthe metallic .re'nforcin'g ejlemerits" and' consequently "to fproduceg-greatly and concrete tie. I p 7 7 Still another object of my inventionljsr provide in a composite tie preferablyifof'the block-and bartype :her'einabove; specified, a

bl'ock'of concrete -or like materi'alh'a'ving,em- I bedded therein a combined rail suppor'ting and concrete reenfor'cin'g element composed of a "singlepiece of metal comprising Era-ilsupporting portion and a basej'portion-therefor "composed 0f truss elements, said" rail supporting portion preferably being coinposed of an" inverted trough or channel die "posed transversely of the longitiidinaljahiis of the'ti'e' and provided 'in' its opposite flanges with mountinglape rtures for movable railfastenin'g members supported "adj acent to "their opposite ends, and said, base portion comprising opemwork truss-members; arranged to reenforce and" strengthen the railsuppo'rti'ngiportionandthe concrete block in which it is embedded, these truss-members also formingextensionarins to enable'jthe transmission, when opposite ,bl'o'ck'sjare connected together, of strains, oftension'and the distribution of loadlto the completetie. l

v Still another object offmy' inventionisto lutiliZe,-; in connection with a'combined 'concrete reenfor'ci'ng and frail-supporting element composed of on'e piece,1an integral railincreased "strength .in' 'the composite;'intalbo fastening member andpre'ferably-an integral rail-fastening "hook engagin the outside edges of the rail flanges whereby 1 the combined rail-supporting and concrete reenforc- 7 'ing elements" in the blocks or rail-supporting sections when connectedto'gether by'a'me tallic' connecting; rod will perform the additional fu'nc'tion of a track-clampingelement 'ortie-b'ar of'great strength and-will-maintain the gauge of'the tracks orders-and prevent a'ny spreeding of -therails in use. 4

reenforcing elements from each other to enable the use of a tie in location where track circuits are involved and for this purpose, I I

preferably provide in the joint between the integral reenforcing elements in each block and the bar a block or discof fibre-insulating material which will positively insulate the opposing rails from each other. i a

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of mem as to co-act and co operate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated,and compr1ses in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which. qFig; 1 1s a plan view of aicomposite railroad tie of the block-and bar type combining my invention, one of the blocks showing a rail mounted thereon and the other showing the rail demounted with the metallic skeleton indotted lines; c 7

Fig. 2 is a. sideelevation of the railroad tie shown inFig. 1; I

Fig.3 is a section on the line 3'3 of Fig, 1; ,Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cast-metal skeleton embodied in each of the blocks and shown Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my in vention 1, 1 indicate the opposite concrete blocks of a railroad tie of the block-and-bar type and 2 indicates the bar connecting the blocks 1, 1. I

In accordance'with my invention, annetallic skeleton 3 (see Fig. 5) ofunitary character is embedded in each of the blocks 1,1, and an importantipart of my invention resides in providing in each block, section or head of the railroad tie on which a rail is supported, a metallic skeleton which has. the double function ofproviding. a solid and rigid support for a rail and of providing a strong reenforcement for the concrete block in which it is embedded. Preferably my combined reenforcement and rail-support has.

a metallic base member of relatively broad area preferably conforming in extent and outline. with the concrete block and an effec- I the metallic rail-seating member, and the 7 a metal casting orforging having integrallyformed therein .an inverted trough-shaped bolts or fastening elements 8, 8. g of therail flange is preferably engaged by a the longitudinal axis of the tie and embodying a horizontal web or rail seat 4 and downwardly-extending vertical flanges 4 and I 'mount. on this rail-seating member 1 fastening devices for engaging and retaining the rail in position-thereon. hers and arrangement ofparts so combined 1 V V g tion, the flanges 4 of the rail-seating member In the said preferred form of my invenare provided on the. opposite sides of the axis which apertures are mounted movable book One side stationary" rail-engaging hook 9 disposed acrossthe longitudinal axis ofthe tie, and hook bolts 8, 8are each mounted in said opposing flange apertures and are'both utilized to-engage the other side of the rail-flange and to clamp one flange to the rail-seat, and to force the opposite rail-flange into wedging contact' between the stationary hook and the rail-seat. In the said preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated, the stationary hook 9 is formed integrally withthe skeleton casting and preferably is disposed at the outerside edge thereof so as to overhang the upper surface of the web-portion l. of the mil-seatin member 4.- This hook 9 is prefn "of thetie with apertures 6, 6 and 7, 7 in erably r eenforced and. strengthened by three vertical ribs 9, 9 fand 9 which extend downwardl'y .andmerge with the outwa-rdly-extending trusses of the base-porti0n 5 5" the bottom of which trussespreferably extend in a horizontal plane substantially coinciding with the lowerfedge of theflanges of the rail-- seating member 4.

In the. preferred form of invention illustrated, thetruss bars of the base portion extend on opposite sides of the rail-seating memberv l andfare; symmetrically arranged toextend fromithemiddle and ends of the lower'e'dgesiof thefian'ges outwardly in opposite directions to the longitudinal axis of the railwaytie, the truss bars on eachside preferably comprising Open wQrk curved members 5 and 5 which areso curved and arranged as to reenforce the corners formed between the main body B of the block and lateral,ex tensions E thereof and these truss bars also preferably include a vertically disposed reenforcing bar 5 which extends substantially along the'longitudinal axis of the block.

The base member 5 of each block 1 is preferably provided with a vertical aperture 10 and in'cases where my railroad ties are laid in track sections which involve-electric circuits, I preferably mount in each of the apertures 1Q-adisk' 11 of suitable insulating maiases-is 'terial, such as insulating fibre, and eachof these disks will be provided with a vertical bore or aperture 12 adapted to receive a downwardly-projecting hook-portion 13 of the connecting bar 2 which is utilized to connect opposite rail-seating blocks 1 and in the preferred form of my invention is connected thereto by passing the downwardly-disposed hooks 13 through the apertures 12;

t will be seen that when the skeleton mem bers are so connected by the connecting bar 2,

' strains of tension will be transmitted from the metallic skeleton in one block to the metallic skeleton in the other. v

It will be seen from the above that I have provided a unitary metallic element preferably formed of a single metallic casting or forging, which in itself alone will. have loadcarrying strength of very high degree and in most cases will have sufficient load-carrying strength alone to support a major portion or all of the load which will normally be carried or imposed upon the block in which the skeleton is embedded.

As illustrated, the aforesaid skeleton is embedded in a block of concrete 1 of substantially similar length and width of the skeleton and is preferably of the thickness to ex; tend substantially below the flanges of the rail-seating member 4 and the bottom of the truss bars of said base portion, the upper surface of the concrete block being flush with the outer surface of the web or rail-seat portion 4 of the rail-seating member twith the hook 9 extending above and overhanging said web and also projecting above said concrete surface. i

In the said preferred form. of my invention illustrated, the concrete block adjacent to the bolts 8, 8 is reduced in thickness to provide a depressed water-shedding surface portion 15, 15, 16, 16' at opposite ends of the railseatingmember 4, so as to enable the insertion within the apertures 6, 6, and 7, 7 of the hook bolts 8, 8', to permit manipulation of the ends of these bolts for the purpose of tightening up the ends of the hooks on the flanges f of the rail R, and to provide for drainage.

A bar-seating notch 17 is also formed in the upper portion of the concrete block and extends from the aperture 10 outwardly so as to permit the insertiondownwardly of the hooks 13 of the bar 2 into the apertures 12 to connect the opposite blocks and to also provide a connection between the skeleton members of these blocks which will positively cause the transmission of strains from the block-and skeleton which support onerail to theblock and skeleton which supports the opposite rail. V s 7 Obviously theseconnecting bars; Willjbfi useful in gauging the position of the concrete blocks and in maintaining the gauge be- 5 tween the rails.

have; prov died a railroad tie construct-tou in which metallic? skeletons, having a high degree {of tens'i1e"'-stren th will,when combined aneavyeonneeti gbar; in "e fiectf'orml'tie bar elements adapted to lock the o posite trails in properly spaced relati onship'to-each other 'and to pre'vent' any" spre'ading thereof.

vilt wi'll be seen,furthermore, that l 'have provided a tie con's tr'uc-ti'oiti 'i'n whiclr the {re- 'enforcing metalli'c skeleton not onlyhas great i i-ndegendentload carrying strength but-when embo'clied'in the "concrete block will-provides i reenforcement' forall' portions'ofthe bloc-k th at by'the use of-"my ties, I a'm"enabled"t0 pro gidge ties of-much greater rigidity 1 than --rhe wooden ties now generally employed,-that 1 tprovid'e fa'stenings which hold the-"rails "secui ely on the ties and I thus "reduce "wave- V tion substantially andenable the,i-produotioniand maintenance of tracks-" in substan- 1 tial'ly perfect horizontal alignment." Having described my invention, I

clarm:"- I a c 1. A composite railroad tie,- embodying; in

"combination, a pair of-"con'crete'rail supp'ortingsectio'ns; each section having embedded f therein a unitary-metallic element of sub- 'stantially the horizontal area'of the section "and comprising a single metallic vcasting having integrally formed a arailf-seating -n'1'ember provided with "an integral "hook mounted at the' top '"andi overhanging said rail seating member, a Phase for" said: railseating member composed -oftruss bars ex- "tending laterally ifromthe bottom edge of said rail-"seating -member,"said members hein'gso arranged as to provide effective reenforcement for said concrete section, and a metallic connecting bar arranged to connect 1 the base members of opposite metallic; elements to'produce a complete railroad tie having high tensile and load-carrying strength. 1

I 2. A composite railroad tie, embodying, in

combination, a pair of concrete rail-support- 1ng sections, each sect on having embedded therein a single metallic casting having integrally formed an inverted oblong trough provided at its top surface with an integral a concrete rail-support having embedded therein a unitary metallic element composed of a single metallic casting having integrally A formed a rail-seating member provided with an integral hook mounted at the top and o overhanging said rail-seating member, and a base for said rail-seating member extending outwardly therefrom and so arranged as to provide effective reenforcement for saidcon- 'crete support. a

4:. In a'composite'railroad tie, comprising a concrete rail-support having embedded therein aunitary metallic element composed of a single metallic casting having'integrally V formed a rail -seating member provided with an integral hook mounted at the top and overhanging said rail-seating member, a

base for said rail-seating member extending outwardly therefrom and so arranged as to provide effective reenforcement for said concrete support, and movable hook members 7 mounted in said metallic casting beneath the rail-seating member to engage the side of the rail opposite to said integral hook and to cooperate therewith in fastening a railto said support. v

5. In a composite railroad tie, a concrete rail-supporthaving'embedded therein a single metallic ,casting having integrally formed an inverted oblong trough provided at itstop surface-with an integrally formed stationary hook for engaging a rail flange at one side of a rail andhaving in its sides below said top surface mounting apertures for movable fastening hooks, and movable railfastening hooks mounted in said apertures for engagement with the flange at the opposite side of the rail. 3* v In witness whereof, I have, signed my name to the foregoing. specification.

: "RICHARD F. GREENWOODJ 

